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pi 1505 Screen only works at certain angles

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pi 1505 Screen only works at certain angles

Postby damonbotley » Fri Aug 21, 2009 5:23 pm

I'm sure I've seen this problem discussed elsewhere on the net but couldn't find it just now. My Pi 1505 screen is getting progressively worse - the picture is absolutely fine, no flicker or missing pixels but only at one or two specific angles - about vertical and 30 degrees off horizontal. It's hard to use on your lap now and I'm worried I'll lose it altogether soon. Is this something easy like trapped wires or do I need a new screen? As above, I suspect the former as the picture is fine when it's at an angle it's happy with, but it is starting to give me neck-ache!

Any thoughts welcomed
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Re: pi 1505 Screen only works at certain angles

Postby KitamuraComputers » Fri Aug 21, 2009 9:29 pm

damonbotley wrote:I'm sure I've seen this problem discussed elsewhere on the net but couldn't find it just now. My Pi 1505 screen is getting progressively worse - the picture is absolutely fine, no flicker or missing pixels but only at one or two specific angles - about vertical and 30 degrees off horizontal. It's hard to use on your lap now and I'm worried I'll lose it altogether soon. Is this something easy like trapped wires or do I need a new screen? As above, I suspect the former as the picture is fine when it's at an angle it's happy with, but it is starting to give me neck-ache!

Any thoughts welcomed


It could be either your display cable or inverter cable, but the display cable would cause a fuzzy/weird output if damaged. Does the screen go totally black as though the backlight has gone out?

Simply removing your screen fascia and reseating inverter input supply/output cables & display signal cable might do the trick. Take your battery off first, an inverter triggers a backlight at 1000v AC, and runs constantly at 300 - 600v, enough to be more than fatal. I learnt this through the death of my friend Lisa, never think an almost flat battery won't fire it.... Most inverters have their high voltage parts covered, but be careful...
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Re: pi 1505 Screen only works at certain angles

Postby damonbotley » Sat Aug 22, 2009 9:49 am

Thank you, it's definitely not fuzzy. When it's at the wrong angle you would think the laptop was turned off - completely black; and as I said, when it's at the right angle it works fine. And thank you also for the warning about the inverter. As an amateur I could easily imagine myself making that kind of mistake

I'll let you know how I get on...
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Re: pi 1505 Screen only works at certain angles

Postby law » Sat Aug 29, 2009 9:03 pm

Dont buy an inverter

Mine is a pi 1510 Same problem its the inverter cable.
I've stripped the facia and the cable is worn where its not been seated correctly. (opening - closing)
by gently touching the cable the screen will come to life.

heres the real problem - buying a replacement.

I've searched the web and the only exact cable i can see is on a german website.

unfortunately i cant speak german otherwise it would have been bought it.

Anyone any ideas where you can get one?

thanks - Law
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Re: pi 1505 Screen only works at certain angles

Postby damonbotley » Sun Aug 30, 2009 2:52 pm

Thanks for the tip - they're dead easy to order if you go to the Fujitsu Siemens website they have a recommended UK dealer for parts http://uk.ts.fujitsu.com/support/spares.html - i think the cable is £3 plus p&p.
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Re: pi 1505 Screen only works at certain angles

Postby Engyman » Sat Sep 05, 2009 12:12 am

damonbotley wrote:Thanks for the tip - they're dead easy to order if you go to the Fujitsu Siemens website they have a recommended UK dealer for parts http://uk.ts.fujitsu.com/support/spares.html - i think the cable is £3 plus p&p.


Do you know what part number this cable is please. I have the same problem and traced it to the cable. Does the whole of the case have to be took apart to put the cable in or just the screen bezel and bottom panel?

Cheers! Engy
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Re: pi 1505 Screen only works at certain angles

Postby damonbotley » Sat Sep 05, 2009 11:14 am

You shouldn't need the part no. If you ring them and tell them it's a pi 1505 inverter cable they will be able to send it out.

As for fitting it, it was a bit of a pain but not impossible. You need to remove the battery and the bottom panel (to expose the fan). Once you've done that you'll be able to find the inverter cable connected to the motherboard. It gets tricky because when you follow the cable back you'll see it's under a piece of grey foam (not a problem) and then trapped under a metal clip. What I did was to cut the inverter cable on the motherboard side then just prise it and pull it with a bit of careful brute force and a thin screwdriver.

The next thing to do is to look in the battery bay and on the left hand side as you look from underneath you'll see there's a small piece of the fascia held in by its own screw, it's about 1cm wide. You have to remove this because it will give you the room you need to thread the new inverter cable through the cavity round the hinge. The one thing I couldn't do was to get the new cable back under the metal clip, but it wedged down ok under the grey foam.

I also took the precaution of putting an extra wrap of duck tape round the cable where it passes the hinge - what a ridiculous design!!!

Good luck.
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Re: pi 1505 Screen only works at certain angles

Postby law » Tue Sep 08, 2009 12:04 pm

Thanks for the feedback.
Mine is an amilo 1510 I dont know if it differs.

I cant see any way to get the cable out (in) without somehow removing the fan.
It just seems to compact I cant even see how you would get the cable connector threaded through.

Any thoughts

Thans
Law
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Re: pi 1505 Screen only works at certain angles

Postby damonbotley » Tue Sep 08, 2009 12:11 pm

It is a poor design. If it's the same as mine (ie the inverter cable and a couple of other cables are trapped under a metal clip) I think the only solution is to cut the plug end off (ie the plug that goes into the motherboard and then just pull the cable through the clip - brute force! I guess you could put something on it to grease it if that helps!
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Re: pi 1505 Screen only works at certain angles

Postby Engyman » Tue Sep 08, 2009 8:37 pm

I have ordered the cable(very easy as you say, friendly too). 3 Quid+Postage!

Postage was a bit steep but if it gets the laptop back to working order I'll forgive them.(nearly said I'd post a stamped jiffy bag when i heard the postage cost!!)

It's on back order as they didn't have any in stock, but should have it on my doorstep sometime next week. Will let you all know how i get on with the chinese puzzle that this is likely to be. 17 years in engineering and I am still amazed at how badly somethings are designed!!

Engy



EDIT: I just looked on http://www.ipc-computer.eu/ and saw the same cable for 39 Euro + shipping and handling!!!!
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Re: pi 1505 Screen only works at certain angles

Postby damonbotley » Tue Sep 08, 2009 8:49 pm

Well good luck with it! Next laptop I buy will be on the strength of how easy it is to change the parts!
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Re: pi 1505 Screen only works at certain angles

Postby Engyman » Tue Sep 08, 2009 8:54 pm

damonbotley wrote:Well good luck with it! Next laptop I buy will be on the strength of how easy it is to change the parts!


Do Lego make laptops??? ;)
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Re: pi 1505 Screen only works at certain angles

Postby law » Wed Sep 09, 2009 12:07 am

Good description from damon - unless theres a way to easily remove the metal clip then cutting the old cable to remove it is the answer.

Like he says dont even try to fit the new cable under the clip just try to seat it in the space available .

buy the way mine is a amilo 1510 - there are two small screws the remove the (facia) - see his post above.

Thanks and good luck.
Law
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Re: pi 1505 Screen only works at certain angles

Postby Engyman » Thu Sep 10, 2009 6:42 pm

Well, the cable came earlier than expected. Have fitted it with no problems(except the metal clip thing). But it looks as if the other cable is cream crackered too!! I have coloured lines running up the screen.

Any ideas what that cable is called?

TIA

Engyman
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Re: pi 1505 Screen only works at certain angles

Postby law » Thu Sep 10, 2009 8:12 pm

Its the video cable

I had similar problems after fitting mine (screen flickering etc.) Make sure that your inverter cable is properly seated at both ends.

Also try removing the video connector from the motherboard and reconnect it (may have been lifted when trying to remove your inverter cable)

(remove battery first)

Good luck law
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